Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
SWG News
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Swelling from the Sea by annarobots
Tuor and Elwing’s recreational sailing excursion goes terribly awry when a carnivorous siren casts her gaze upon their vessel. With her song, she enchants the mariners and boards with evil intent. She kills and eats their crewman, she demands Tuor’s hand in marriage, and for dessert…
[Writing] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] One Flesh, One Soul. Part I by FellFireFan
As beautiful as he is dangerous, Aegnor, an elven prince, stands against the looming shadows of Angband. Brother to Galadriel, he commands the siege with a fierce intensity, a duty that exacts a heavy toll on him. But beneath the iron walls he has built lies a broken soul, haunted by a…
[Reference] "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
Current Challenge
Building Middle-earth
Receive a prompt of an architectural style or a location on Arda—or both!—to inspire your fanworks. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Crackuary
"This idea is completely unworkable, but I bet I can make it work." With that philosophy in mind (if so dignified a word can be used here), create a fanwork using a bingo card with the most bizarre, silly, and crackiest prompts we could conjure. Read more ...
New in References
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Around the World and Web
Silvergifting Week 2026
A week dedicated to Celebrimbor/Mairon | Annatar | Sauron pairing, aka Silvergifting. August 10-16, 2026
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Posted by SWG Moderators on . Last updated on .
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies have in many ways defined the Tolkien fanfiction fandom, not only shaping how fans engage with the books but driving fan engagement so that the Tolkien fanfiction fandom remains one of the largest fandoms in history. When the Rings of Power show debuted, many wondered if it would have a similar impact, sustaining interest in Tolkien, encouraging fans to pick up the books, and keeping the fandom thriving.
This month's article in Cultus Dispatches, the SWG's monthly fan studies column, uses data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey to get a first glimpse at the impact The Rings of Power has had on the fandom so far. The data show that that impact has been minimal, with few fans joining the fandom or engaging in fanfiction because of the show, even to "write against" it. However, data about the films show that new authors didn't enter the fandom until after the films left theaters, so the biggest impacts of the show may be yet to come.
At the same time, the nearly one in ten authors in the survey who started writing because of the show can't be overlooked. How are writers and readers engaging with the show through fanfiction? How are they similar and different from existing fanfiction authors? Why has the show had minimal impact so far compared to the films, and can we expect this trend to continue?
This month's column tackles these questions and more! You can read "The Rings of Power Is a Ripple (So Far)" here.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Posted by SWG Moderators on . Last updated on .
While Tolkien is known for his vast natural landscapes, those expanses are populated by people—and the buildings they construct. Whether a cottage tucked into the forest or the soaring spires of a grand city, the architecture of Arda can send the imagination adventuring through settings ethereal and astonishing.
This month's challenge uses architecture to inspire fanworks. Participants will receive a prompt from the challenge moderators; you can choose if you'd like to receive an architectural style, a location on Arda, or both. As usual, if the prompt you are assigned isn't working for you, just let the challenge moderators know, and we will draw again. You can request a prompt by emailing us, sending us an ask on Tumblr, commenting on our Dreamwidth, or requesting a prompt on the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord.
You can use your prompt however you want to inspire your fanwork. While setting and architectural descriptions are one approach, this certainly isn't required!
Thank you to Sallysavestheday for this month's stamps!
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 August 2026. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Posted by SWG Moderators on . Last updated on .
Who writes Tolkien-based fanfiction? Who reads it? As the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey enters its third iteration with up to ten years of demographic data, this month's Cultus Dispatches column tackles evidence from the survey to answer that question.
Ten years ago, the Tolkien fandom saw the final film of the Hobbit trilogy, which brought a boom in activity. With those films a decade behind us and in the midst of the Rings of Power television show, how has the fandom changed? Demographic data shows key changes in gender, educational attainment, and age, as well as sustained trends in race/ethnicity and religion and new insights about neurodiversity.
You can read the article "Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey" here.
New Challenge: Epic 80s
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Whoa! It's our annual decades challenge and we're vegging out in the most tubular, bad to the bone decade for a month of rad fanworks. So spray up your hair, don your denim jacket, and tie on your skates to hang ten back to the 1980s!
For the Epic 80s challenge, you will choose from hella 80s-themed prompts to create a fanwork. Your fanwork totally does not have to take place in the 1980s. You can use these prompts however you want! It's most definitely legit to keep it chill with just a title from a prompt, or you can book it in a more bodacious way by using lines, lyrics, album covers, movie posters, plot points—like whatever floats your boat! Of course, crossovers are the bomb if that's how you want to step off. We encourage gnarly interpretations and use of prompts, including mad loopholing!
Thank you to Aneréa for this month's banner and stamps!
You can catch the Epic 80s prompts here.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 July 2026. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
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More than a year ago, our fan studies column Cultus Dispatches embarked on a study of commenting behavior using Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data, plus data from sites like Archive of Our Own and FanFiction.net. At long last, we have the comment data from the SWG to add to the conversation!
Since the advent of websites with commenting systems, authors have wondered (and worried) about how to increase the comments left on their stories. Many of us have done the statistical analysis familiar to fanworks creators: clicks and kudos and comments and what the proportion of each reveals about reader reactions. Likewise, many have offered theories over the years of how to increase commenting or why it is so hard to get a reader just to tell the author they like the story.
This article builds on prior work pointing to community as essential to a robust commenting culture. Simply put, people comment more when they know the author and feel a sense of shared community with them. Data from various sites, along with Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data, supports this conclusion.
For the complete discussion of these data, check out Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
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Anna (IdleLeaves) will generously be continuing to host monthly instadrabbling sessions on our Discord server on the first Saturday of each month! We welcome all creators to join us for an few hours of creating, squeeing, and hanging out with fellow fans on the following dates:
- July 4, 2026 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
- August 1, 2026 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
- September 5, 2026 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
What is instadrabbling? Instadrabbling is a long-standing community activity in the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. A group of friends gets together on chat, someone throws out a prompt or four, and everyone writes a drabble (or whatever comes to mind). We share our creations in the server and admire each other's work. Instadrabbling is low-pressure and casual, and all are encouraged to participate to whatever degree they are comfortable. Instadrabbling responses shared on our server can be about any aspect of Tolkien's legendarium, not just Silmworks.
When we instadrabble, we meet on the #instadrabbling channel on our Discord server. Discord invites can be requested at any time from the moderators. All are welcome to join the Discord, whether you want to instadrabble with us or not!
New Challenge: Scavenger Hunt
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As a kid, were you ever given a list of clues to solve to find the location of small prizes? Or did you play the types of games where you need to talk to people to track down the objects you need? This month's challenge combines a scavenger hunt with a Matryoshka challenge. Tie on your sneakers, grab your map and canteen, and get ready to search!
During a Matryoshka challenge, creators make a fanwork using multiple prompts that are revealed one by one (like nesting dolls!) The Scavenger Hunt challenge puts a bit of a twist on the traditional Matryoshka format.
You will still create a fanwork using multiple prompts. However, instead of receiving those prompts one by one from the moderators, you will seek and find those prompts from other participants or by following clues to locate them on the SWG website.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 June 2026. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts
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Our May challenge will be an interactive Matryoshka challenge, meaning that challenge participants will provide prompts to each other. How it will work:
- If you want to provide prompts to participants, you can sign up one or all of your fanworks posted to our archive. These will become the clues in the scavenger hunt!
- When participants solve the clue, they will read/view and comment on one of your fanworks (or the specific fanwork you offer, if you choose to offer just one).
- You will reply to their comment with a prompt. You can create your own prompt(s) or the moderators can provide prompts for you to use.
Our hope is that this challenge encourages interaction and collaboration and results in comments for those of you who are offering prompts! A few additional details to keep in mind before signing up:
- The challenge will run May 15 through June 15. You do not need to be available every day to provide prompts, and the moderators will be available to provide backup prompts if you can't. However, if you're planning to spend three of those weeks off-grid in the wilderness, it's probably best to sit this one out.
- If you sign up a single fanwork and it is Adult-rated or if all of your fanworks are Adult-rated, we will mark it as such so that participants who need SFW (safe for work) fanworks can find them.
- You do not need to create a fanwork for the challenge in order to hand out prompts and enjoy the comments on your work!
- If you make your own prompts, prompts should be SFW and open-ended. Prompts should not require creating about a specific character, relationship, group, time period, place, genre, etc.
If you want to provide prompts for the challenge, you can sign up here.
New Challenge: Everyman
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The Silmarillion is a story about heroes, often larger than life (sometimes literally, given how many characters claim to be the tallest) and the performers of deeds worth the historical record. Yet hovering around the edges of the lives of heroes are ordinary people. They are the companions, the spies, the messengers, the servants, and the soldiers, their actions given the barest glance and their names unknown. Yet as the compendium of their deeds—collected in this month's prompts—show, their impact on the tale is not insubstantial.
This month's challenge brings these unnamed, unknown characters to the foreground. Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in legendarium using one of our collected quotes about the unnamed and undistinguished people of Middle-earth. While you are welcome to write the scene from which the quote derives, this is not the only approach to the prompts, and we welcome all interpretations of the prompts (and some have been left intentionally vague!) You can use all or part of a quote. The only requirement of the challenge is that a background character plays a key role in your work.
You can find the prompts for the Everyman challenge here.
Thank you to Erdariel for this month's stamps!
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 May 2026. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Cultus Dispatches: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn and Grundy
Posted by SWG Moderators on . Last updated on .
Fanworks fandom in 2026 is not a culture defined by boundaries. Generally, fans accept that all manner of fanworks (even if not to their personal liking) have a right to exist. AI-generated fanworks, however, have pushed the limits of even fanworks fans' considerable levels of tolerance.
When Dawn and Grundy were recently tasked with presenting about how the SWG developed its AI policy, they ended up taking a deep dive into the impacts of generative AI within the broader Tolkien fanworks fandom, finding that communities that are generally resistant to boundaries have set up firm limits on how AI can be used in their spaces. Social justice, ethics, and community governance all play roles in how fan communities have responded to generative AI—and how larger fandom institutions have not.
You can read the article "Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance" here.
